Cream of Tomato Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the perfect dish to make when you find yourself alone for dinner on a blustery winter's day. I'm featuring a wonderful soup that I first made for my grandsons who shied away from the acidic taste of most tomato soups. When faced with the locked lip syndrome, grandmothers have been known to do strange things. I decided to sweeten the soup I made for them with a bit of catsup. It wasn't a drastic change, mind you. I simply replaced the tomato paste used in the soup base with catsup and the deed was done. The finished soup was slightly sweeter and picked up a bit more flavor from the seasonings in the catsup. It was really good. In fact, it was so good that even the adults enjoyed a cup or two of it and it became my pantry go-to soup. I've found that recipes I repeat in my own kitchen make perfect features to share with you. The soup is made from ingredients that can be found in any well-stock pantry, so I thought you might like to try it for your own families. I'll wager that those of you who try it will really enjoy it. Here is how this simple soup is made.

Cream of Tomato Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Saveur magazine

Ingredients:
4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons catsup
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup canned tomato sauce
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 (15-oz.) can whole, peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crème fraîche, croutons, and finely chopped chives, to garnish

Directions:
1) Heat bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until its fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 15 minutes.
2) Add butter, and increase temperature to medium-high; add garlic, onion, and carrot, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes.
3) Add catsup, and cook, stirring, to blend. Add flour, and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes more.
4) Add tomato sauce, chicken stock,  thyme, bay leaf, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 30 minutes.
5) Remove from heat, and purée using an immersion blender. Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Chocolate-Covered Almonds

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Three Years Ago Today: Warm Beef and Cheese Dip with Toasted Pecans

Roasted Carrots with Parsley and Thyme

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Tonight's recipe is one of the simple side dishes that I made for the early Thanksgiving dinner we shared with friends several weeks ago. These herb roasted carrots are delicious and they are very easy to prepare. The recipe was developed by Martha Rose Shulman for the New York Times and it is one of those simple treasures that's really nice to have in your recipe quiver, especially if you entertain a lot or have a large family to feed. You will love the play of the bitter herbs against the sweetness of the carrots and the ease with which this recipe comes together. While I do hope you'll give this recipe a try, what I really want to share with you tonight are memories of bologna sandwiches, my daddy and Chicago ward politics during WWII. My dad, a victim of tuberculosis who had a collapsed lung, had been rejected by all branches of the armed services. He keenly felt the rejection and his patriotism and need to serve led him to seek other venues. He actually flew with the Air Transport Command for several months before his x-rays caught up with him and he was grounded yet again. When he was sent home, he devoted himself to the civilian war effort and became an air raid warden and was elected an alderman following a stint as a ward precinct captain. As a young man he had been a union organizer so he was well suited for both jobs and took them seriously. While we didn't have a lot of air raids in Chicago, we had drills aplenty, and, should enemy aircraft miraculously stray into the midwestern heartland, my daddy was  ready for them. Now, for those of you who younger than me, or are unfamiliar with ward politics in Chicago all those years ago, an alderman was basically a fixer/enforcer who delivered votes in return for favors. On election day, lists of voters were checked and those who had not yet exercised their civic responsibilities were found and encouraged to do so. It was a door-to-door effort and my dad really got to know the people in his ward. Their births, deaths, hopes and dreams were etched into his cortex and if help should be needed, he would be the first to offer assistance. He was a complex man, but he had a special affinity for the least, the lost and the lonely. Certain practices, now frowned upon, were commonplace back then, so free drinks at the local tavern and walking around or street money  were a fixture of the political scene. Street money, then and now, is a legal financial perk given to local party officials by an electoral candidate's campaign in exchange for the official's support in turning out voters on election day. Back then, it bought a shot and a beer or a bologna sandwich and election day itself was a social event that brought the neighborhood together. In retrospect, it seems to me that we have traveled miles to nowhere since then. Money is threatening to consume our electoral process, and while it is getting harder and harder for the voices of individuals to be heard, we owe it to ourselves to continue trying. Please vote!  Scream if you must, but vote. Someone is listening.

Roasted Carrots with Parsley and Thyme...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bitecourtesy of The New York Times

Ingredients:
2 pounds carrots, peeled quartered or cut into sixths lengthwise (depending on the size), then into 2-inch lengths
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a sheet pan or a baking dish large enough to fit all carrots in a single layer. Place carrots in a large bowl, and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.
2) Spread in an even layer in prepared pan or baking dish. Cover with foil, and place in oven for 30 minutes. Uncover, and if carrots are not yet tender, turn heat down to 375 degrees and return to oven until tender, about 10 to 15 more minutes. Add parsley, stir gently, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Yield: Serves six.

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Two Years Ago Today: Cinnamon Red Hot Apple Cider

Three Years Ago Today: Wild Mushroom Ragu